Related Links

Guy Bailey named president of University of Alabama

Guy Bailey, left, listens during a University of Alabama Board of Trustees meeting at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa Wednesday. Guy Bailey was voted in as the new president of The University of Alabama.

Dusty Compton | Tuscaloosa News

By Brian ReynoldsStaff Writer

Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 11:50 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 11:50 a.m.

Two-time University of Alabama graduate Guy Bailey has been named the next president of his alma mater.

Photo Galleries

Bailey, who has been the president of Texas Tech University since 2008, was interviewed this morning by the UA system’s board of trustees, which approved his hiring during the meeting.

“This is a beautiful place and a place that’s touched many people’s lives,” Bailey said. “Part of my interest in this position was paying back the university for what it did for me.

“The University of Alabama over a six-year period – that’s two degrees by the way, bachelor’s and a master’s, it didn’t take six years to finish undergrad — that six year period provided me with the foundation that not only helped me fulfill my dreams, it helped me do things that I could never dream about. This is home and it’s great to be home.”

The Montgomery native attended the Capstone from 1968 to 1974, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English. He also received a doctorate in English linguistics from the University of Tennessee.

Bailey was the university’s top target throughout the search process, emerging as a candidate who could continue the improvement and growth that Tuscaloosa has seen during the past decade, said search committee chairwoman Karen Brooks.

“They were all great, but Guy Bailey was the best,” Brooks said. “For me personally, (Bailey) seems to be commonsensical, down to earth, smart, he’s well rounded, he had all the attributes that I like to see in a person when they’re leading.

“It’s really not the main factor, but he does remind us a lot of (former UA president Robert) Witt,” she said. “He had the exact same goals, and he did the exact same thing at Texas Tech as Dr. Witt did at Alabama. He was growing enrollment, building buildings, increasing the research funds. Everything seemed to be the same pattern that we had here, so he just fit and he fit in a way that would take us forward, not stand still.”

Bailey replaces Witt, who was named chancellor of the UA System in March after the retirement of Malcolm Portera. He expects to start in Tuscaloosa in early September.

During Witt’s tenure, which began in 2003, the university’s enrollment grew from 20,000 to 31,747 students. Witt also oversaw numerous major construction projects, including several suite-style dorms, the construction of the science and engineering complex and two additions to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Texas Tech, in Lubbock, Texas, also saw significant enrollment increases under Bailey’s leadership growing from 28,433 students in fall 2008 to 32,327 in fall 2011. He also led a push towards Tier 1 status for the school, which was ranked 160th in the annual U.S. News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities.

“The enrollment of an institution is probably the best gauge of its health,” Bailey said. “It’s like taking the blood pressure of the institution. Not just the quantity, but the quality. That’s what’s most impressive by the way here.

“If you really want (enrollment growth) to happen the president has to be fully involved. You can get a lot of students in, but to get the best and the brightest you personally need to be involved. Where I put my time is where the university should be most successful.”

In addition to personal involvement from the president, Bailey sees a strong athletics programs as key to growth.

“There’s no question that if you have a successful athletics program — and successful is the key word there — that’s a tremendous aid in recruiting,” he said. “The visibility you get from athletics you can’t buy. Everybody knows about Alabama because of that.”

Growing up in the state, Bailey’s first exposure to Alabama came from the Crimson Tide football team, and his 85-year-old mother rarely misses a game.

“He’s demonstrated an ability to combine athletics with academics and we need that at Alabama to make the two of them complement each other,” said Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge John England, a member of the board of trustees.

“We wanted to get the best person, and when we got to a point where we identified that best person we tried to get him here. I think (the search) was thorough and I think that we did what needed to be done to make sure we got the best person.”

Details on Bailey’s pay at Alabama weren’t available; a university spokeswoman said they were still being worked out. Texas Tech said Bailey had a salary and benefits package worth $422,637 last year, and he received $152,000 in deferred compensation. Witt’s salary as president was $487,620 annually.

Before becoming president at Texas Tech, Bailey served as chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and provost and executive vice president at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Witt and Bailey worked in the University of Texas system during the same period and the UA chancellor called Bailey’s record at UT San Antonio outstanding.

In questions from board members, Bailey said he will aim to limit tuition increases by maximizing other campus revenue streams, while adequately compensating faculty and growing research programs. He will also aim to maintain strong, personal undergraduate program.

“As a professional opportunity this is really unpatrolled,” Bailey said. “The last 10 years have created a foundation that this institution can build on that really is a limitless future.”

“If we can do the same thing over the next 10 years that’s been done over the last 10 years we’ll be one of the top public institutions in the country. It’s achievable; the base is there, the foundation’s there. What makes it better is it’s my home.”

<p>Two-time University of Alabama graduate Guy Bailey has been named the next president of his alma mater.</p><p>Bailey, who has been the president of Texas Tech University since 2008, was interviewed this morning by the UA system's board of trustees, which approved his hiring during the meeting.</p><p>“This is a beautiful place and a place that's touched many people's lives,” Bailey said. “Part of my interest in this position was paying back the university for what it did for me.</p><p>“The University of Alabama over a six-year period – that's two degrees by the way, bachelor's and a master's, it didn't take six years to finish undergrad — that six year period provided me with the foundation that not only helped me fulfill my dreams, it helped me do things that I could never dream about. This is home and it's great to be home.”</p><p>The Montgomery native attended the Capstone from 1968 to 1974, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in English. He also received a doctorate in English linguistics from the University of Tennessee.</p><p>Bailey was the university's top target throughout the search process, emerging as a candidate who could continue the improvement and growth that Tuscaloosa has seen during the past decade, said search committee chairwoman Karen Brooks.</p><p>“They were all great, but Guy Bailey was the best,” Brooks said. “For me personally, (Bailey) seems to be commonsensical, down to earth, smart, he's well rounded, he had all the attributes that I like to see in a person when they're leading.</p><p>“It's really not the main factor, but he does remind us a lot of (former UA president Robert) Witt,” she said. “He had the exact same goals, and he did the exact same thing at Texas Tech as Dr. Witt did at Alabama. He was growing enrollment, building buildings, increasing the research funds. Everything seemed to be the same pattern that we had here, so he just fit and he fit in a way that would take us forward, not stand still.”</p><p>Bailey replaces Witt, who was named chancellor of the UA System in March after the retirement of Malcolm Portera. He expects to start in Tuscaloosa in early September. </p><p>During Witt's tenure, which began in 2003, the university's enrollment grew from 20,000 to 31,747 students. Witt also oversaw numerous major construction projects, including several suite-style dorms, the construction of the science and engineering complex and two additions to Bryant-Denny Stadium.</p><p>Texas Tech, in Lubbock, Texas, also saw significant enrollment increases under Bailey's leadership growing from 28,433 students in fall 2008 to 32,327 in fall 2011. He also led a push towards Tier 1 status for the school, which was ranked 160th in the annual U.S. News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities. </p><p>“The enrollment of an institution is probably the best gauge of its health,” Bailey said. “It's like taking the blood pressure of the institution. Not just the quantity, but the quality. That's what's most impressive by the way here.</p><p>“If you really want (enrollment growth) to happen the president has to be fully involved. You can get a lot of students in, but to get the best and the brightest you personally need to be involved. Where I put my time is where the university should be most successful.”</p><p>In addition to personal involvement from the president, Bailey sees a strong athletics programs as key to growth.</p><p>“There's no question that if you have a successful athletics program — and successful is the key word there — that's a tremendous aid in recruiting,” he said. “The visibility you get from athletics you can't buy. Everybody knows about Alabama because of that.”</p><p>Growing up in the state, Bailey's first exposure to Alabama came from the Crimson Tide football team, and his 85-year-old mother rarely misses a game.</p><p>“He's demonstrated an ability to combine athletics with academics and we need that at Alabama to make the two of them complement each other,” said Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge John England, a member of the board of trustees. </p><p>“We wanted to get the best person, and when we got to a point where we identified that best person we tried to get him here. I think (the search) was thorough and I think that we did what needed to be done to make sure we got the best person.”</p><p>Details on Bailey's pay at Alabama weren't available; a university spokeswoman said they were still being worked out. Texas Tech said Bailey had a salary and benefits package worth $422,637 last year, and he received $152,000 in deferred compensation. Witt's salary as president was $487,620 annually.</p><p>Before becoming president at Texas Tech, Bailey served as chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and provost and executive vice president at the University of Texas at San Antonio. </p><p>Witt and Bailey worked in the University of Texas system during the same period and the UA chancellor called Bailey's record at UT San Antonio outstanding.</p><p>In questions from board members, Bailey said he will aim to limit tuition increases by maximizing other campus revenue streams, while adequately compensating faculty and growing research programs. He will also aim to maintain strong, personal undergraduate program.</p><p>“As a professional opportunity this is really unpatrolled,” Bailey said. “The last 10 years have created a foundation that this institution can build on that really is a limitless future.”</p><p>“If we can do the same thing over the next 10 years that's been done over the last 10 years we'll be one of the top public institutions in the country. It's achievable; the base is there, the foundation's there. What makes it better is it's my home.”</p>